Father Mother Sister Brother (2025)

This Jim Jarmusch (Paterson, Only Lovers Left Alive) film is (apparently) a 'triptych' entitled Father, Mother and Sister Brother. Each set in a different country and exploring the idea that we never truly know who our parents are, or were, before we existed, or even now. It feels like pure arthouse to me and is conducted with the mellow, lazy pace of the brilliant Paterson (which, as a bonus alongside Adam Driver, featured a great performance by Golshifteh Farahani and is a must-watch). So, three parts, three stories, with some overlaid common themes - think Kieślowski’s Three Colours trilogy.

The first part, 'Father', takes place in New Jersey, USA. Siblings Jeff (Adam Driver) and Emily (Mayim Bialik) visit their reclusive, dishevelled father (played by Tom Waits). They worry that he is hard up for cash, depressed, and isolated - especially since their mother died. Jeff, clearly wealthy, slips him money and brings expensive groceries against the wishes of his sister, who looks on disapprovingly. Prior to their arrival, however, we see the father purposefully making the place look chaotic and untidy.

Next, we're off to Dublin, where romance novelist 'Mother', played by Charlotte Rampling, is preparing for a visit from her two daughters, Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps). This seems to be an annual ritual involving a frightfully upper-class afternoon tea. There is a real, loving warmth between the two sisters, but with the mother, the atmosphere is cold and intellectual. Lilith is a wild, free spirit in a relationship with another woman which she actively hides, even lying about her career success. Timothea is the 'upstanding' daughter and receives more respect, but they all essentially hide their true selves behind etiquette.

Lastly, we head to Paris for 'Sister Brother', the warmest segment of the three. Twins Skye (Indya Moore) and Billy (Luka Sabbat) reunite at their parents' apartment after they die in a plane crash. As they clear out belongings, they discover there was much about their parents they did not know. While the first two stories are awkwardly stiff, the absence of parents here brings a sense of closeness and kindness between the twins.

As I mentioned, there are themes running through the film. For example, Rolex watches. Father claimed his was a fake, but Emily knew it wasn't. Lilith claimed hers was real, but then exposed herself as a fake. There are skateboarders in every story - young men, possibly depicting freedom in contrast to the masks worn by our characters trying to project/deny success or poverty. There is also the recurring question of whether a 'toast' can be proposed with water or tea as opposed to alcohol, as if nobody truly knows the 'rules of engagement' with one another. It certainly brings to mind the lamps, pens and little old ladies' bottles of Kieślowski.

I didn't realise that Jarmusch was a musician with a band, SQÜRL. Here, he collaborates with Anika (Annika Henderson) to create the score. The atmosphere of the final segment is heavily influenced by her post-punk, avant-garde style, which fits the arthouse vibe perfectly. Driver, Waits, and Blanchett are as solid as ever, though not really stretched. It is nice to see Mayim Bialik outside of The Big Bang Theory and Moore and Sabbat provide the required warmth for the final act. However, I think Charlotte Rampling steals the show - her performance is simply perfect.

It’s a laid-back film that makes poignant points about life. The long pauses between dialogue reflect the distance between people who don't truly know each other. It is a beautifully told story in three parts. You might have different takeaways, but this is what I grabbed. Treat yourself and watch it when you can.

War Machine (2026) - A Guest Review by Chad Dixon

This Netflix film is a Predator-inspired military action drama directed by Patrick Hughes. It stars Alan Ritchson (known mainly for the Reacher TV series) as a no-name US Army Staff Sergeant whom we first see during the Afghanistan conflict when his small convoy of engineers comes to help a friendly platoon and fix its broken-down vehicle. We soon see that the head of that group is his brother, played by Jai Courtney, whose name is also not spoken.

As Ritchson finishes off the repair, the two talk of their mutual wish to become US Rangers and vie to join RASP (the Ranger Assessment and Selection Programme) together as soon as the current conflict is over. As Ritchson returns to his vehicle, a direct Taliban missile strike hits both convoys and there is a big conflagration. Later, he comes to with an injured right knee and sees destroyed vehicles and burnt bodies all around. He hobbles towards his brother's inert body and finds him alive - barely.

Cut to two years later and we see the Staff Sergeant in a parade of mainly younger Ranger candidates on the first day of their eight-week programme at RASP. He is given the designation "81" by First Sergeant Torres (Esai Morales) who, with the camp's Sergeant Major Sheridan (Dennis Quaid), gives the assembled candidates a stern speech regarding what is expected of them to complete the assessment and become a United States Ranger.

Cue the usual training montage where 81 - who at 6'3" and built like a human tank towers over the majority of his co-candidates - consistently outdoes them but stays aloof during meals and downtime. At night, and occasionally during particularly gruelling trials, he still has harrowing flashbacks to when he and his brother were attacked in Afghanistan. This plays on his mental health. Also, intermittently, we see reports on the TV news of an asteroid that has entered the inner solar system and seems to be behaving quite oddly compared to previous extrasolar objects, as it appears to be getting closer to Earth.

As the remaining candidates go on their final assessment mission in the mountains of Colorado, the camp commanders put 81 in charge of the group (against their better judgement due to his previous PTSD) because he has been, head and shoulders, the top-rated individual. After an arduous hike in full gear to the high-altitude checkpoint where their timed mission begins, the battalion encounters what they think is an abandoned prototype tank lying next to a stream. Thinking it is the target objective, they set explosive charges and withdraw; however, after the "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" explosion, it is observed that there is no apparent damage to its armour plating. The "tank" starts to move, transmuting into a walking multi-weapons platform, and angular, ominous red lights appear. The soldiers are temporarily transfixed before it starts to scan them with a broad laser beam. They agree it is time to RUN!

The initial establishment of the main protagonists (of whom we don't really get to know many) seems quite long, but actually only takes up the first 25 minutes of this film's 1-hour 47-minute runtime. There are some memorable faces amongst the younger candidates, including a couple of capable female soldiers who, thankfully, do not get special treatment. Otherwise, the performances are unremarkable and typical for this trope.

As said at the beginning, this is obviously another iteration of the classic Predator (1987) story, just set in different terrain and with a much bigger and deadlier antagonistic opponent. Ritchson is decent and does command the screen with his beefy silhouette, but he is not a patch on Schwarzenegger in his prime action-hero era. Quaid and Morales are really just cameos and have minimal lines, but look decently authentic in military fatigues.

I read that the director, Patrick Hughes, tried to use real locations as much as possible to convey the raw jeopardy of the situation without much green-screen. When we head into the second act - which is why we are really here - the action really ramps up and it is hard to catch one's breath. Although there is no official BBFC certificate for this so far, I would say the blood and dramatic dismemberment of some individuals may be challenging for some viewers. However, there isn't too much of that.

The CGI War Machine itself is as good as anything I have seen rendered on screen so far and looked adequately menacing in the mountainous surroundings. The extra ending did seem to be a bit pointless - unless there is a sequel in the pipeline already. All in all, I did not really mind this unoriginal story, as it looks good, was acted satisfactorily and is just about the right length. But I know it won't be everybody's cup of tea.

Lilya 4-ever (2002)

Originally titled Lilja 4-ever, this film was directed by Swedish filmmaker Lukas Moodysson. It is set in an unnamed, bleak former Soviet republic, was filmed largely in Estonia and is primarily in Russian. It is a devastating story about abandonment and despair, inspired by the real-life case of Dangulė Rasalaitė.

The film follows Lilya, a 16-year-old girl living in a bleak, dour and decaying industrial town. Her life feels as though it is finally about to turn into something worth living when her mother tells her that she plans to move to America and take Lilya with her. She is elated, full of smiles, packs her bags and can't wait for the day to arrive. However, on the day of travel, her life falls apart again when her mother reveals she is going without her, promising to send money and the means to join her at some point in the future.

She is left in the care of her mother’s sister, Anna, who immediately dumps Lilya into a tiny, squalid flat in which an old man has just died, simply so Anna can have Lilya's family home for herself. Anna threatens and abuses Lilya, for whom she clearly does not care, leaving her without electricity, food or the means to survive. When Lilya asks Anna how she is supposed to live, Anna tells her to go and 'spread her legs' for money, just as her mother did. It becomes a hard-nosed tale reminiscent of a Mike Leigh film set in poverty-stricken, working-class Britain. All hope vanishes when she receives a letter from her mother legally disowning her and placing her care into the hands of the social services - who do nothing of the sort.

Lilya has a friend called Volodya, a young boy a couple of years her junior who plays basketball. They end up finding places to sleep and survive together after his father also throws him out of the family home. Volodya looks up to Lilya like a big sister, but also with clear designs on a romantic relationship - which she rejects due to the age gap. Nevertheless, they remain close - they are all each other has. They huddle for warmth, play games and sniff glue together - the downward spiral of poverty and despair continues.

Out of desperation, Lilya briefly turns to survival sex work. She hangs out in a local bar and successfully finds men who use her for money until, inevitably, she is abused. As she is staggering home, Andrei - a handsome young man - pulls up beside her in his car. He offers her a lift and appears to treat her with kindness and respect. They form a relationship and grow close. He claims to live in Sweden and says he is merely on holiday here. He tells her he can find her a job and a home in Sweden if she would like to go with him. Suddenly, life looks rosy again and she leaps at the chance.

Volodya pleads with her not to go. She asks Andrei if the boy can come too, but Andrei says he will "work on it" once she is settled in Sweden. On the way to the airport, having provided Lilya with a false passport, Andrei tells her he must visit his mother and that she should go ahead, with a plan for him to follow in two days. He claims a friend will meet her at the airport to look after her.

By now, even if you do not know the life of Dangulė Rasalaitė, I am sure you can guess what is afoot and the kind of life that awaits her in Sweden. It is a film full of physical and psychological abuse, focusing mainly on how Lilya and Volodya attempt to break free from their world of cruel suffering. It questions the value of human life, highlights systemic neglect and explores the impact of abandonment on 'unseen' children.

The use of Rammstein’s Mein Herz Brennt at the beginning and end of the film creates a moving and harrowing yet chaotic backdrop to the children’s plight. The interior scenes feature a great deal of handheld camerawork, depicting the chaos surrounding the characters and their often violent struggles. I usually complain bitterly about this technique but here, for once, it seems fitting.

The reason I tracked this film down is that we are exploring a 'basketball' theme for the Projector Room Podcast and I wanted to find something away from the usual flurry of American comedies. In this film, Lilya buys Volodya a basketball with the first money she earns from selling her body. He is over the moon. The ball represents happiness in the midst of chaos and misery. When Volodya’s father throws him out, he destroys the ball, ensuring his happiness is short-lived. It is a case of parents destroying the hope of their children. The film ends with a surreal sequence where Lilya and Volodya are on a rooftop, away from the city, happily playing basketball together. It is a quiet, recurring thread that ties their friendship together amongst the misery. I may have had to stretch the theme to fit, but it works!

The film is not an easy watch. It's gritty, dark, moving and tragic. I was unfamiliar with the actors, but the two leads, Oksana Akinshina and Artyom Bogucharskiy, were totally convincing and demonstrated real talent. Well worth a watch if you can track it down.

Hamnet (2025)

I have never read a Shakespeare play. I’ve never seen a film adaptation, never sat through a local production and somehow also managed to navigate the UK education system without ever being taught a single sonnet! So, firing up Hamnet last night, I felt very much like an ignorant git! Literarily illiterate! I kinda expected to be confused, or perhaps even bored by a story that I assumed would require a background I simply didn't have - and I must admit, I was only really in it for the Jessie Buckley viewing!

But as it unfolded, I was proved quite wrong. Enjoying this tale didn't rely on knowing anything about His Bardship at all! While the first hour did occasionally drag, the excellent performances from the whole cast carried me through. The story is far more about family, abandonment, grief and the fragility of existence in an era of perilous childbirth and rigid social values.

The first thing I appreciated was the atmosphere. Right from the off, the sets made the rural world feel alive. A family living in the middle of nowhere amidst mud and hard work, the courtship rituals of a tiny rural community, the mystical/superstition threading through Agnes’s (Buckley - Fargo, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Men, Women Talking, Wicked Little Letters, Fingernails) 'connection with nature' - it all has an earthy quality. It looked remarkably like life at The Weald & Downland Living Museum in Singleton, West Sussex, which I know so well. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if parts were filmed there.

The story follows Will (later revealed as the Shakespeare) and Agnes. Will, played by Paul Mescal (Aftersun, All of Us Strangers), is a local tutor with ambitions to be a writer. Agnes is a fierce, intuitive young woman with a reputation for her mystical connection to the forest. When they meet, he falls instantly in love. She is more cagey, fearing that those around her will wildly object to the match. Which, of course, they do.

The chemistry between the characters - and the actors - is clear to see. They are deeply in love, and the only thing standing between them is Will’s ambition. He sees moving to London, the heartbeat of the art world, as a necessity. She wants to remain in her rural home, in touch with the land. As time leaps forward, they have three children - an older girl, Susanna, and twins, Hamnet and Judith. We are told early on that the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable at the time. When Will heads to London, the family is left to navigate the complications of a long-distance marriage.

Then we reach the tragedy that eventually inspired the play Hamlet. It is a story of a father-son relationship ruined by death. When pestilence arrives, the tone shifts remarkably. The acting reaches a new level as Hamnet falls victim to the Plague (in a roundabout way I won't spoil, as it carries immense emotional baggage regarding his bond with his twin sister). Emily Watson (Testament of Youth, Breaking the Waves, Apple Tree Yard) steps up as Will’s mother, and the audience is treated to an acting masterclass as the family moves from heartbreak to total devastation.

Will is as devastated as Agnes, yet he makes the unpopular decision to return to London. Torn between passion and grief, he feels 'the show must go on' and sets out to write Hamlet in memory of his son - an attempt to fix the unfixable through art it seems. The entire second half of the film is drenched in the family’s grief until Agnes finally travels to see the play for herself. I’ll leave you to soak up that ending for yourselves.

I haven't read Maggie O’Farrell’s book, on which this is based, but it’s clear that while much is fictitious, it is rooted in the recorded facts of the 1590s. There is very little to dislike here, even for an ignoramus like me! The direction by Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) was great. It moved with a fluidity that kept the dual timelines clear and compelling.

The music also deserves a mention - the use of Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight was haunting and emotional, providing the heartbeat of the film. With hindsight, perhaps my 'blank slate' status allowed me to approach this from an emotional place rather than an academic one. It is a beautiful, haunting and hopeful film about the invisible people in history - wives and children left behind - while famous men change the world. You don’t need to be a scholar to be moved by it, you just need to have loved and lost.

The Drift (2026)

The Drift was also released under the title Ice Skater, and I have several thoughts on this Finnish-European co-production (directed by Taavi Vartia), which maintains a stark Scandinavian feel throughout.

We join the film as Emily, a competitive ice skater, wakes up on a lump of ice that has apparently broken off from a shelf in a remote Arctic location. She and her teammates had retreated there to practice away from the public eye. The ice she is stranded on is roughly a 20-foot square, adrift in the Arctic Ocean.

With nobody in sight, we occasionally spend time with rescue crews who eventually appear to give up. Emily has little with her: her skates, a small bag of supplies including a first-aid kit, a mobile phone with a smashed screen, a tent and an urn containing her sister’s ashes. We stay with her for the duration, watching her put basic survival skills to work, though she inevitably becomes dehydrated and exhausted.

There is an interesting encounter with a hungry polar bear and her cub, which Emily survives - somewhat ludicrously - by zipping herself into her tent and closing her eyes! The bears, incidentally, are very poorly rendered CGI. Later, her phone rings - she can answer calls but cannot make them - and despite being in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, she miraculously has a signal. This is where we begin to question what is real and what is hallucinated due to her deteriorating state.

Harry, the man on the phone, is initially a cold-caller trying to sell air conditioning. When he calls back, their conversation shifts to life, love, death and the universe - further making me wonder what is real and what's not. Regardless of the call's reality, it provides Emily with the encouragement to keep fighting. We see flashbacks regarding her sister, who, at seven years old, appears to have been struck by lightning due to eight-year-old Emily’s neglect. Carrying that guilt ever since, Emily has been searching for the most beautiful place in the world to scatter the ashes. As the Northern Lights appear, she decides she has found it and finally lets go.

The production is clearly low-budget. The ice platform is strangely static amidst a rough sea that mostly looks like a CGI creation. The water resembles a studio tank rather than a real location - certainly not the genuine waters of Finland. The ending, which I won’t spoil here, is wildly open to interpretation, again forcing us to question the reality of the situation.

At one point, Harry mentions a news item claiming her body has been found. Is she dead? Is Harry real? Is she hallucinating? Or is a miraculous rescue mission around the corner? The film is intentionally ambiguous, leaning into the message rather than the plot, which is full of holes. Ultimately, it seems to be a metaphor for Emily 'drifting' through her own guilt and grief.

Emily herself looks like a high-end video game character half the time, likely due to the use of AI-enhanced digital doubles to save costs. She also appears to survive against all odds - in reality, she would last mere minutes in those waters. At one point, she even dons her skimpy ice-skating gear and barely loses colour! Biological survival is clearly off the table here, so we must consider the survival as purely metaphorical.

It's a decent-enough watch - fairly short at under 90 minutes and moving at times (unlike her ice floe)! Digitally enhanced or not, Thea Sofie Loch Næss delivers a convincing lead performance. It’s currently streaming on Apple TV if you fancy it.

PodHubUK Podcasts for the Month of February 2026

   

...a roundup of our month of podcasting. Links to the team, communities and podcast homes on the net at the foot, so scroll down!

Tech Addicts 2026

Season 1, Episode 1 - An Overclockable Sex Toy

Sunday 1st February

Gareth and I are back talkin’ tech for 2026! Chatting about the Handy 2 Pro sex toy, HP EliteBoard G1a, Linux Mint 22.3, Social Media Ban, Google, Epic, Logitech MX Master 4, Marshall Heddon, Pixel Tablet and loads more! So do join us - get back in the groove!

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 881 - Signature Samsung Sellout!

Monday 2nd February

Joe and I are joined by James Reed this time as we find out what he's been using as a phone since last on. Lots of Samsung chat, Android Auto antics, Magic V6 is en route, Galaxy Unpacked too - plus we lend our thoughts on the 3-in-1 NexPhone, Sammy's Privacy Display, Motorola Signature and much more besides - including the crowning of Photo of the Year for 2025.

Whatever Works

Episode 237 - Common as Castrol Muck!
Wednesday 4th February

Aidan and I are back again with this month’s deluge of drudge as we go a Wicking and Coddling our way through many a time-wasting twaddle whilst blocking the blue light! From Cool Collars to Castrol Cups, Steam Bags to Angry Mamas - we even have time to go Inseparable and certainly Affordable! This and so much more in this bumper episode, so strip off and jump on into the frog pond with us!

Projector Room

Episode 203 - The Anaconda Cannibal
Wednesday 4th February

Gareth and I are back again with another fortnightly roundup of all things film, cinema and TV. This time we're Ravenous for Sorority Babes, take The Long Walk to Greenland, discover that H is for Hawk and Hannibal, take Little Bites from The Surfer - and that in 28 Years, we'll have Falling Skies! Loads more as always, now available in the usual places!

Tech Addicts 2026

Season 1, Episode 2 - Aforementioned RAM SHortages

Sunday 8th February

Gareth and I are back again with another catchup of all things tech, to which we are addicted! We chat about the RAM shortage, Logitech MX Master 4, Lenovo Legion Y700, Ark 2-in-1, ChromeOS giving way to AluminiumOS, the Steam Machine delay, Amazon and Northern Ireland, Vodafone and 3uk woes, O2 5G coverage across UK and much more. So get tuned in and enjoy hearing me splutter through a stinking cold! The show must go on!

Tech Addicts 2026

Season 1, Episode 3 - I Saw OpenClaw

Sunday 15th February

Gareth and I are back again with another dumpling of dogdoo this weekend chat about AI-driven RAM spikes are thinning phone specs, while uTag unlocks Samsung gear for all. KeyGo Gen 2 and NexPhone offer new hardware paths, Linux Mint 22.3 updates and OpenClaw agents bring both utility and high-risk security warnings. And much more. Available now from the usual places!

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 882 - The Murena Shift

Monday 16th February

Ian Furlong of CoolSmartPhone fame joins Joe and I this time as we find out all about his World of Samsung, Watches, Rings and dabblings with hyper-secure, Google-free phones. We have drop-in audio from Steve regarding the Nokia N8 Reborn experiments and time still for loads more natter as we're all awaiting MOTOvator hardware to review, looking at rejiggling PSC Photos and have hands-on with the Honor latest too! Available now via the usual outlets, so do join us for an hour!

Projector Room

Episode 204 - Choral Keeper
Wednesday 18th February

Gareth and I are back again for another viewing roundup. This time we visit The Beyond during the Night of the Hunted, Steal a Phantasm (or 5), let Halliwell's Guide our research, consider a Migration 2 Greenland and take Exit 8 after 56 Days in Coming Soon. Loads more as always, so do join us.

Tech Addicts 2026

Season 1, Episode 4 - Attack of the Martial Arts Robots

Sunday 22nd February

Gareth and I look at Martial Arts Robots putting on a display before impending potential human annihilation, the Honor MagicPad 4 tablet, Samsung’s MovingStyle…thing, Steam Deck woes, Linux 7.0 excitement, changes to the Google AI Plus, Pro & Ultra packages and is the Sapphire an Aluminium flagship? The season finale is now available via the usual haunts, so do join us.

The Phones Show Chat Podcast

Episode 883 - Ted & Joe Go Live!

Monday 23rd February

Bit of an experiment to get some of the community involved, which wasn't a complete failure because our good friend Irfan Ali turned up to chat with us about all sorts of topics, but mainly his love for new phone, the Honor 400 Pro. And he's in good company with Joe and I on that one! Oh well, it was a bit of a fun toe-in-the-water test. Maybe we'll write that experiment off to experience and focus on the lovely chat we had with Irfan!

The Camera Creations Podcast

Episode 16 - Infrared Photography

Thursday 26th February

The gang is back again with another delve into all things photography and cameras. We learn about the value and purpose of Infrared Photography, hear about some upcoming new lenses (with dubious focal length ranges) and still have time to showcase shots taken by the panel since the last show. Motor sport, Street from Hong Kong, murky weather on the south coast and of course, plenty of samples of infrared. Now available in the usual places, so do join us.

The Podcasts (PodHubUK)

Phones Show Chat (PSC) - Whatever Works - Chewing Gum for the Ears - Projector Room - Tech Addicts - Camera Creations

The MeWe Community Groups (follow the links to join up)
Phones Show Chat (PSC) - Whatever Works - Chewing Gum for the Ears - Projector Room - PSC Photos - PSC Videos - PSC Classifieds - PSC Health - Coffee Time - Camera Creations - Tech Addicts

The Team
Ted Salmon - Steve Litchfield - Aidan Bell - Gareth Myles - Joe Hickey - Chris Clayton - Ian Bundey - Charlie Winston

Grafted (2024)

Here we have another Shudder outing - often bonkers, but never dull. Grafted is a New Zealand creation that fits squarely into the body horror genre like no other! It is messy, grisly, dark, and tragic.

The story begins in China with Wei and her father. There is clearly much love between them. She is a bright young girl and he is a brilliant scientist working on a medical research project. If successful, his work will heal them both, as they share a common facial deformity.

The cracking first five minutes of the film set the tone as he tries his grafting formula on his own face but fails to survive the attempt. We witness the horror of his work through special effects that clearly demonstrate the growth and grafting on skin samples. Wei tries to save him by cutting air holes in his face with a scalpel, but fails. It is a start that goes off with a bang!

The film then jumps several years forward as Wei travels to New Zealand to stay with her aunt and immerse herself in medical research, continuing her father’s work. She guards his handwritten Chinese notes with her life, hoping to one day make her face 'beautiful'. She constantly wears a scarf wrapped high around her neck to hide her scars.

As well as physically, she's emotionally scarred and socially isolated and struggles to fit in. Her cousin, Angela, is street-wise, confident and speaks no Chinese, having been born and raised in New Zealand. While Wei and Auntie Ling hit it off immediately, Angela quickly becomes irritated by Wei’s presence - especially when Wei sets up a shrine to her father in the house.

At university, we are introduced to the cocksure, predatory Professor Paul. He pretends to befriend Wei, but only because he has discovered her father's research and believes he can finish it himself, making for fame and fortune. He steals the notes and works alone, while leading Wei to believe they are collaborating.

In the meantime, Wei discovers the missing link her father overlooked in his formula - an extract from a rare plant, the Corpse Flower! This stabilises the serum, allowing for near-instant, perfect skin grafting. Following a falling out, Wei accidentally kills Angela by stabbing her in the eye with a chopstick! Not one to miss an opportunity to practise what she has learned, she uses Angela’s skin to 'fix' her own face.

From here, the film leaps from disaster to disaster and experiment to experiment. There are grisly deaths for anyone who gets in Wei’s way - including, and especially, the cliquey girls at university who gave her such a hard time. Monsters are created, grafting is the key, and there is a poignant, sad ending to the whole affair. Wei is the monster here, yet the film encourages us to feel pity for her despite the terrible things she does.

The film is shot quite artistically at times, with great cinematography, close-ups, and lighting - all hallmarks of good arthouse horror. However, it occasionally feels as though the production ran out of money - some special effects are excellent, while others are clearly lower-budget prosthetics and makeup, for example - and handheld camerawork sometimes creeps in.

I was unfamiliar with the cast, but Yoyena Sun is very convincing in the lead role. Those around her are perhaps less so. Regardless, it is a good romp and 90 minutes of solid entertainment. It is well worth a look now that it’s streaming on various platforms in the UK.